Devon rural bus services face changes as council commits extra £800,000

A raft of alterations to bus services is set to cost a Devon council an extra £800,000 on top of its existing multi-million-pound subsidies.

Various changes were announced this month by commercial operators, including Stagecoach and some smaller firms, meaning some services will face alterations or cuts.

But Devon County Council, which oversees transport, has said it will put up more than three-quarters of a million pounds to support services affected by the changes.

This would increase its overall bus subsidy by around 5 per cent.

Among the changes announced this month is a new Service X, procured by Devon County Council and operated by Greenslades, to serve Exminster and Matford Brook/Marsh Barton after Stagecoach changed its Service B.

The county council has also amended its Dartline 66 service to provide an alternative following the withdrawal of Stagecoach's 6A service between Exeter and Okehampton.

Stagecoach said its Service P would receive some financial support from the council to help maintain the timetable, as well as some early morning journeys on Services 39 and 18.

Stagecoach is also increasing the frequency of several of its services, it said when announcing the changes, which are due to take effect on August 30.

“The council subsidises bus routes that bus providers would otherwise deem unprofitable, and that may otherwise not run,” a spokesperson for Devon County Council said.

“Our funding is not finite, and therefore we make decisions based on passenger usage and do the best we can to meet public demand.

“If it were not for our subsidising of some bus routes, the likelihood is that they would simply not run for commercial reasons.”

Stagecoach said the changes reflected its aims to improve reliability for passengers and respond to customer demand.

One change in North Devon has already prompted pleas from some users to maintain the existing timetable, with passengers calling the service a “lifeline” for the rural communities it serves.

Margaret Millman has written to Stagecoach to say that a significant number of passengers have no access to private transport and “rely on the bus for essential food shopping, attending GP and hospital appointments, collecting prescriptions, banking, and accessing other services that are not available locally”.

“Because the route travels along narrow single-track country roads and then encounters heavy traffic on entering Barnstaple, the bus occasionally arrives later than scheduled,” she said.

“This is outside the control of both passengers and the driver.

“Reducing the time available in Barnstaple is unreasonable and will make it much more difficult for passengers to complete essential tasks before the return journey.

“The proposed timetable shows little consideration for the needs of those who depend on this service.”

The county council said it had reviewed demand on the 372 Barnstaple-Bradworthy/Holsworthy route and withdrawn college-day-only journeys between Barnstaple and Bradworthy, as well as Wednesday-only journeys, while amending others.

A spokesperson for Devon County Council said the 372 operates a college-day-only journey from Bradworthy to Bideford in the morning, with a return in the evening.

On Mondays and Fridays, it also runs from Bradworthy via Bideford to Barnstaple in the morning, returning in the afternoon.

“This provides passengers with either two hours and 30 minutes in Barnstaple or three hours and 15 minutes in Bideford,” the spokesperson said.

“On Wednesdays, Service 372 mainly provides a journey between Bradworthy and Holsworthy, giving passengers two hours and 10 minutes in Holsworthy.

“From 30 August, the college-day journey will be withdrawn. On-bus observations and ticket machine data show that, on average, fewer than one return journey is made per day.

“The Monday and Friday journeys will be retimed, reducing the available time in Barnstaple to one hour and 55 minutes, or two hours and 40 minutes in Bideford.

“This change is required because revisions to school transport services mean the vehicle is needed earlier on school runs. Fewer than four passengers per day, on average, use the Barnstaple service.”

The council added that the Wednesday journey was operated under a separate contract, which has been surrendered by the operator.

To maintain the link between Bradworthy and Holsworthy, and distinguish it from the Barnstaple journeys, it will be replaced by a new Service 636.

Stagecoach said its changes were aimed at “improving reliability and punctuality, responding to changing customer demand, providing new journey opportunities and improving connections between services”.

“The changes include new and amended routes, revised frequencies, seasonal timetable changes, with a small number of services replaced by alternative services.

“Customers are advised to check the new timetable before travelling, particularly where routes are changing or services are being withdrawn.”